Signal



March 16 1926. 1,576,536

' R. s.- Pmil-:R

SIGNA; Filed August 22, 1925 mvsNToR wf/nevi;

BYl

' ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 16, 1926.

reiten starts ROBERT S. PARKER, 6i?v OTTAWA, KANSAS sreNAL.

Application filed august 22, i925. ser-laine. 51,857.

To all liii/710m it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT S. PARKER, a citizen ot the United States, residing` at Otte-iw in the county ol' Franklin, lState of Kansas, have invented cert-ain nen7 and useiul improvements in Signals, ot which the following,v is a specification.

This invention relates in signals especially adapted `tor use on automobiles and other motor vehicles and aims to provide a signal ot' this character which is disposed without the body ofthe vehicle but which may be convenientlyoperated by the driver oit the vehicle wit-hout disturbing his control o't the vehicle itself and which may be setto give a clear and unmistakable indication ot contemplated changes iii the rate or direction ot' motion ot `:the vehicle. ln other words, it the operator intends to malte a right hand or a lett hand.l

turn or to stop, a signal may be quickly set to plainly show the intention and remain set until the change inthe rate of direction o'f motion has been consummated and they signal readjusted. The signal in its iiormal position is visible to operators of surrounding' vehicles `and thereby gives indica-4 tion that the operator of the vehicle on which the signal is mounted intends tno change in the rate or direction off iiiotionoi his vehicle. Y

A further object ofthe inventionV is to provide a device of :this Ycharacter and liavi ing these advantages and capacities and y which is ot simple and durable construction, reliable in operation, attractive in appear- `anice and easily and comparatively inexpen-l sive to iiiaiiuitacture and apply. Y

' Other objects and advantages reside iii. certain novel features-'oit the construction.,` i arrangement i .which will be hereinafter moreiully cle-1 and combination ot parts scribed and particularly pointed out iii the appended claims, reference being; had to the accompanying` drawings forming a pai-tot this specification, and in which v Figure l is a perspective view showingl one embodiment of the invention,

Figure 2 is a view thereof partly in vertical section and partly in side elevation,

Figure 3 signaling element.

has intr-:gralv therewith a bearing` 2.

to an improvement Yas at is a view in end elevation, and4 Figure Il illustrates a inodiiied forni of` of a section ot' hollowT surfaces and whichl The bearing 2*,is formed with a' 'flange 3 having integral apertured ears l whereby the beai'- ing and casing iiia'yw-be conveniently supported on the portion 5 of an automobile or the like by means oi bolts and nuts (i.

An 'operating shaft 'i' isl rotatablyT and slide-bly iitted in `the bearing 2. The inner `end oit the shatt has an operating element or hand wheel 8 itiXedv thereto in order 'that the ysli-att C7 may be rotated or slid with facility by the operator of lthe vehicle. The` outer Vend o'l' the shalt 7 is provide'il with a shoulder 9 engageable Vith a shoulder l() adjacent the Vouter end ot the bearing' to liinit the inward` slidingv movement kof the sliatt 7. 'lhe outer end ottlie shaft 7' is biturcated and' 1Lhe arms ot the bifurcation embrace the inner perorate end of a signaling arm l2. A pivot bolt 13 connects the larms of the biurcated outer end ot the shaft't T to the perforated inner end oit the arni l2 in such a manner that the arm l2 may swing` in one plane; that is, in a vertical plane relative to the shaft 7 and yet is constrained to partake of therotary movement ofthe shaft 7;

Tot-he outerfeiid of the signaling arm 12 an illuminated 'signalingVA hand la is applied. ln lieu ot the signaling' hand an i 'arrowfshaped signaling element Y'l5 inav be en'iploy'ed and inayconsisto't blades .land l? disposedat riglitangles to each other and carryingI diltiereiit signaling indicia Vand being illuminated by ditfe'reiit colored lights. i

The torn-ard edge of the casing l. is iiiv cliiied so tlititthe lower portion of the saine progecioutwardlv'beyond the upper portion thereof. 'Centrally ottlic lower portion agrooved elasticbloclr ZO is secured by meansl ot' abolt :ind ii ut 2l. The casing is notched. K 22to insure contact between the sig'-A niiling arniand Vthe lggrooved block `when the device isoperated. JustI above the block L() a transversely extending and downwardly curved camniing rod Q3 is providedflhe "ends ot the rod Q8 are fastened to the casing -at diametrically opposite points and rheinterinediate portion thereofv isL curved, as,

.clearly shown in the drawings, the curvature ,being such that the rod is lowest at its inid- -dle andv rises upwardly toward each end.

,Above the rod a pair ot oppositely disposed U-'sliapedcamming members 25 are provided and are formed of a single piece of Wire or rod stock, the intermediate portion of which is doubled to provide an attaching element which is secured by a bolt and nut 26 `to the top portion of the casing l. In use the signaling arm hangs down verticallyv from the casing when the vehicle is going straight ahead. If a right hand turn is contemplated the operator of the vehicle grasps the hand wheel 8 and pulls the shaft 7 inwardly which causes the arm 12 to ride upon the .inclined portion 20a ofthe grooved face of the block 20, thereby disposing the signal in its lower portion at an angle of d50, thereby indicating that a right'hand turn is about to be made. The parts remain in this position since the weight of the signalingl arm is resolved into an upward thrust on the shaft due to its fulcrum on the inclined face of the block or on the rod 23, depending upon how far inwardly it is pulled. If it is desired to give a signal to indicate that a left hand turn is being made the hand wheel 8 is pulled inwardly as in signaling a right hand turn and thereafter it is rotated to cause the arm l2 to ride across the cainming rod 2S and up the inclined forward edge of the easing l onto the top of one of the U- shaped camming pieces 25 and into the notch or sea-t 27 provided thereforin the camming face 25 with which it is engaged. lVhen so disposed the signaling element extends upwardly and outwardly at an angle of 450. This operation will be better understood when it is borne in mind that the signaling element or arm is rotated while held at an angle of 450 tothe longitudinal axis of the shaft 7 on which it is carried. When a stop .is contemplated the operator simply pulls the shaft 7 in as far as it can go which brings the inner end of the signaling arm into the outer enlarged portion of the bearing 2 to cause the signaling arm to be held in a horizontal position and extending outwardly from the vehicle.

I claim:

l. In a signal, a casing having a bearing, an operating shaft rotatably and slidably fitted in the bearing, a signaling arm, means for hinging the arm to the shaft to permit it to swing in one plane relative to the shaft while constraining it to rotate with the shaft, means on the casing co-operable with the arin for swinging the arm to an outwardly and downwardly inclined position when the shaft is pulled inwardly a short distance, means on the casing co-operable with the arm and causing the arm to swing upwardly and outwardly when the shaft is rotated after having been pulled inwardly a short distance, and means on the easing co-operable with the arm for holding the saine in an extended and substantially horizontal position when the shaft is pulled inwardly as far as it may be.

2. In a signal, a casing having a bearing, an operating shaft rotatably and slidably fitted in the bearing, a signaling arm, means for hinging the arm to the shaft to permit it to swing in one plane relative to the shaft while constraining it to rotate with the shaft, means on the casing co-operable with the arm for Vswinging' the arm to an outwardly and downwardly inclined position when the shaft is pulled inwardly a short distance, and means on the casing co-operable with the arm and causing the arm to swing upwardly and outwardly when the shaft is rotated after having been pulled inwardly a short distance.

3. In a signal, a casing having a hearing, an operating shaft rotatably and slidably .itted in the licaring, a signaling` arm, means for hinging the arni to the shaft to permit it to swing in one plane relative to the shaft while constraining it Vto rotate with the shaft, means on the casing co-operable with the arm for swinging the arm to an outwardly and downwardly inclined position when the shaft lis pulled inwardly a short distance and comprising a bloeit haif'ingl a grooved face co-operable with the arm, and means on the casing co-operable with the arm and causing the arm-to swing upwardly and outwardly when the shaft is rotated after having been pulled inwardly a short distance.

et. In a signal, a casing having a bearing, an operating shaft rotatably and slidably fitted in the bearing, a signaling arm, means for hinging the arm to the shaft to permit it to swing in one plane relative to the shaft while constraining it to rotate with the shaft, means on the casing co-operable with the arm for swinging the arm to an outwardly and downwardly inclined position when the shaft is pulled inwardly a short distance, means on the casing co-operable with the arm and causing the arm 'to swing upwardly and outwardly when the shaft is rotated after having been pulled inwardly a short distance and comprising a transversely extending camming rod having` its ends fixed to the casing and having its intermediate portion downwardly curved, and a semi-'circular cumming member' carried by the casing in spaced relation to the edge thereof, the forward edge of the casing being inclined and having its lower portion projecting outwardly*beyond its upper portion.

In a signal, a casing having a bearing, an operating` shaft rotatably and slidably fitted in the bearing, a signaling arm, means for hinging the arm to the shaft to permit it to swing in one plane relative to the shaft while constraining it to rotate with the shaft, means on the casing co-operable with the arm for swinging the arm to an outwardly and downwardly inclined position lOO when the shaft is pulled inwardly a short distance, means on the casing co-operable with the arm and causing the arm to swing upwardly and outwardly when the shaft is rotated after having been pulled inwardly a. short distance and including atransverse camminp,` member and a pair of oppositely disposed U-shaped camming,l members carried by the casing` above the transverse cainii'iingl member, the forward edge of the casing being designed to cop-act with the camming,l members in causing` the signaling` arm to swing outwardly and upwardly as the shaft is rotated. Y

b. In a signal., a casingl having a bearing, :in operating' shaft rotatably and slidably itted in the bearing, a signaling arm, means for liinginpl the arm to the shaft to permit it to swing in one plane relative to the shaft while constrainingY it `to rotate with the shaft, and means on the casing co-operable with the arm and causing it to swing upwardly and outwardly when the shaft is rotated after having been pulled inwardly a short distance.

7.VL In a signal, a casing having a bearing, an operating shaft slidably fitted in the bearing, a signal arm'hingedly connected to the shaft, said signalingarm hangingdown vertically in signaling position, and a part on said casing engageable with the signal arm to cause theV saine to swing,- upwardly when the shaft is drawn inwardly a short` distance, said casing` having a socket receiving the inner end of the arm when the shaft is drawn upwardly as far as it may be for Y holding the arm in substantially horizontal position. y

S. In a signal, a casing` having a bearing, an operating` shaft rotatably and slidably fitted in the bearing, a signaling arm, means for hingging the arm to the shaft to permit it to Swingin one plane relative to the shaft while constraining it to rotate with the shaft, and means on the casing co-operable with the arm and causing` it to swing` upwardly and outwardly when the shaftis rotated after having been pulled inwardlyV a short distance and comprising a pair of oppositely disposed eaii'iming members in which the arms are selectively co-operable when the shaft is rotated after havingbeen pulled inwardly a short distance.v

i). ln av signal, a casing having a bearing, an operating shaft rotatably and slidably fitted in the bearing, a signalingl a an, means for liinging the arm to the shaft to permitit to swing` in one plane relative to the shaft while constraining it to rotate with 4the shaft, an elasticv block having` a groove re-v ceiving the arm and having a flat face where y by the arm is held against noise or vibration when in non-signaling` position and is swungl to an outwardly and downwar lly in` clined position when the shaft is pulled inwardly a short distance, and means on the casina' co-operable with the arm and causing the arm to swing upwardly and outwardly when the shaft is rotated after hav` ing been pulled inwardly a short distance.

ROBERT yS. PARKER. 

